One reader was victim to a scam email. She asks our consumer expert how she can be better informed about such emails in future

Ideally this type of email should be detected and diverted into a “spam” folder, but that doesn't always happen. You may not have such a filter, in which case have one installed. Even with one it is worth being alert to the fact that such emails can still get through to your main folder. It is best to delete them if they do, and also from any spam or trash folders.

A spokesman for getsafeonline.org said your email service might also have an option to block the sender either straight from the in-box or in the junk folder. You may want to forward such emails to the bank or organisation referred to if relevant before doing this.

Most spam emails actually don’t ring true from the start. This is often because the person who receives the email doesn’t have an account with the bank or organisation it pretends to be from.